


Crowned

by lockhearttifa



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/F, Gen, Link/Zelda (past) and also kind of present, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Link, Vilia is Corona's adoptive mom now, miphlink (past) kind of, teen and up because of a lot of cursing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-10-27 06:51:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17761910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockhearttifa/pseuds/lockhearttifa
Summary: She wakes up in the shrine of resurrection with nothing but a name. She's confused, alone, and angry. Everyone wants something from her. They want her to fight. She's good at fighting. There's a demon to kill and a princess to save.Her name is Corona.(chapters are not necessarily in order)





	1. I woke up like this: Angry

**Author's Note:**

> It's a Linksona fic! This is about Corona, a 17 year old trans girl who has a hard time being nice. There's only a few people she is nice to, and every other NPC can fuck right off.

**“Corona, wake up…. Open your eyes….”**

Corona blinks awake, a blurry image of lights above her slowly coming into focus. She is wet and not wearing clothes. She doesn’t know where she is.

Corona sits up, and gets out of the basin she’s in. She thought she heard a voice, but she doesn’t see anyone now.

“Hello,” she calls out hesitantly, voice quiet. She coughs and tries again, louder, “hello?”

The only thing else in the room is a glowing pedestal, so Corona decides to check it out. As she approaches, she hears that voice again and something called a Sheikah Slate presents itself. Doing as the voice says, she takes it. A door opens.

Corona finds some old clothes in chests, and puts on the pants and shoes. They’re a little small, but will do for now. The shirt feels too tight, and she leaves it behind.

Sunlight pours in to the room when the final door is opened, and the voice tells her she is the light that must shine upon the land of Hyrule once again. Corona isn’t sure what that means, but when the voice tells her to go, she does.

Outside, she sees she had been sleeping in some kind of cave. From the vantage point of the cliff she’s on, she sees fields, mountains, forests, a castle… And on the path just down the hill from the cave, an old man is looking at her. Corona almost startles, but the man then turns away and goes to sit by a fire.

Corona looks around the area and there is no other path to take, so she picks up a good sized tree branch off the ground before continuing down the path.

There’s a glare fixed to her face but the old man doesn’t hesitate to greet her as she comes close.

“Ho there, young man!”

Corona’s face darkens and she is suddenly overcome with the urge to beat him with the stick even though he hadn’t moved.

“I’m not a man,” she says, realizing she’d raised the stick without thinking.

The old man blinks, but settles easily and corrects himself, “Young miss, are you cold? It is afternoon, but you are not dressed properly and it will get colder at night. Would you like to sit by the fire?”

Corona sits a couple feet away from the fire, opposite of the old man. She sets the stick on the ground, but keeps her hand on it.

“The clothes in there-” she nods toward the cave, “-are too small. It’s uncomfortable.”

“I see. Well, that is unfortunate. Perhaps we can remedy that soon enough.”

“So who are you? And where are we?”

“I am just an old man. I have been alone for quite some time now. We are on the Great Plateau. Legends say this was the birthplace of the kingdom of Hyrule. That temple over there-” he points to a dilapidated building not far from where they were- “It was once the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago, it has sat abandoned in a state of decay. I will be here for some time, so do let me know if I can be of any service. Ah, and what is your name, young miss?”

Corona deliberates for a few seconds, as the old man hadn’t given a name of his own, but shrugs and gives her name anyway.

“Nice to meet you, Corona.”

“Uh-huh. Then, I think I’ll get going, but I guess I’ll see you around.” Corona stands and dusts off her trousers. The stick is still in hand.

Corona continues down the path toward the temple. The voice reappears again to tell her she should go to the glowing point on her Sheikah Slate.

On the way, she sees some monster camps and stray monsters. When spotted, the monsters would come to attack her. Her tree branch was surprisingly effective. One whack over a bokoblin’s head too many though, and it snaps.

“Ah shit my stick broke.” At least the bokoblin dropped a club when it fell. Corona collects weapons, materials, and supplies from the felled monsters she encounters.

At the “glowing point,” there is another pedestal. Sticking to routine, she holds the slate to it, and it authenticates. Then with a great rumbling, the platform she’s standing on lifts into the air.

Anyway, this is the story of Corona and she’s very angry.


	2. Ladies in Kakariko

Corona is a little worse for wear when she gets to Kakariko Village. She has some scrapes, her hair is a mess, and the only weapon she has is a rusty traveler’s claymore and a boko shield. An old woman is on the ground by the entrance of the village, apparently having twisted her ankle. Corona helps her up though, and she seems fine.

The old woman recognizes her Sheikah Slate, and points her in the direction of Impa’s house, the village elder. The two guards in front of her house, Dorian and Cado, let her through as soon as they see the Slate.

On the porch, a young woman (18? 19?) is cleaning. Hearing Corona approach, she stands, and then covers her face when she sees her.

“Oh my! There’s a man!” Before Corona can respond, the woman peeks between her fingers and sees the Slate. “Oh! Is that a Sheikah Slate? You must be the hero my grandmother has always told me about. What was his name? Li… Lin… I’m sorry, I swear I didn’t forget, I’m just bad with words.”

Corona decides to interrupt and holds up a hand. “I’m Corona, actually, and not a man.”

“Oh no, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to just- Sorry, m-ma’am! I guess I got the name wrong after all, too. Um! Sorry! By the way, my name is Pa… Paa…. Paya! Whew, I got it out… Please, go inside and talk to my grandmother.”

Paya covers her face again, so Corona shrugs and shoves open the doors. Inside, Impa greets her like an old friend.

“So, you are finally awake. It has been quite a long time. But, you do remember me don’t you?”

Corona just stares.

“What’s the matter? You are looking at me as if I am a stranger. Your eyes lack the light of familiarity.”

“I don’t remember you,” Corona says, “I don’t remember anything.”

A sadness crosses Impa’s face then. She beckons Corona over, “Dearest Link, please come closer.”

Corona shuts the door and walks over to Impa. She sits on the ground before her. “It’s Corona. My name. The voice that woke me up said so. And I’m also a girl. No one seems to really get that.”

“Oh, I see. Princess Zelda must have known that. I had not. My apologies, Corona.” Corona simply nods to acknowledge her apology.

“Since you do not remember, I can recount what has happened for you.” Impa does just that, explaining much as the king had about the battle ten thousand years ago, and the battle the Champions had prepared for a century ago, the unfortunate fates of the Champions, and how Zelda had gone to face Ganon alone.

“The princess left some words for you, but I fear that without your memory, you may not be in the best position to hear them. You must be willing to risk your life,” Impa says.

Corona’s expression hardens. “Tell me. I’m willing.”

“Hah!” Impa slaps her knee as if she’s heard something funny. “That’s what I thought you’d say. Once a hero, always a hero. Alright- this is what the princess said: ‘Free the divine beasts!’”

“...That’s it?” Corona feels underwhelmed. Disappointed. What was she expecting to hear? “Um, wait, what are divine beasts?”

“There are four Divine Beasts. Each one was once piloted by a Champion. Vah Rudania, Vah Ruta, Vah Naboris, and Vah Medoh. Each Beast will be in the regions of their Champions. I will mark them on your map for you. You should go to each one and free them from Ganon’s control. With the help of the Divine Beasts, I am certain you can defeat Ganon.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Corona says, looking over the new glowing points on their map.

“Ah, you should head to Hateno Village first. My older sister, Purah lives there. She runs an Ancient Tech Lab. She will be able to give you more information. Hateno is east of here.”

 _Older sister huh? Wonder if she’s still alive._ “Alright. Thank you, Lady Impa.”

“Yes, dear. Please do come back once you’ve seen my sister.”

“Sure.”

Paya walks in once they’re finished talking and heads over to the glowing orb that rests on a pillow near Impa.

“Hey Paya.”

“M-Master Corona! Sorry! I um, I meant to give you both privacy while you were talking but I did overhear… You are the hero then?”

“Yeah. And no need for titles, you can just call me Corona.”

“It’s more comfortable for me to use a title, but um, I’ll try.”

“Anyway, if it’s not too much trouble, could I get some clothes?” Corona looks at both Paya and Impa, unsure of who she should be asking. Corona is wearing the old trousers from the shrine she woke up in, and an old-looking warm doublet the old man- er, king- had given her from his shack.

“O-Of course!” Paya exclaims. “I’m sorry! I should have offered!”

“Calm down, dear,” Impa says. To Corona, “Yes, we would be glad to help you with whatever you need. You may stay for a meal and rest if you’d like as well. There are shops and an inn in the village too, if you’d prefer that.”

“I don’t have any money right now, but I’d appreciate the help.”

Paya helps Corona find some clothes of hers that fit her, and even combs and braids Corona’s hair. Paya assures Corona that she doesn’t need to return the clothes, as she has plenty.

“Thanks so much! Your clothes are comfy. And I love the braid! I feel cute.”

“You look pretty,” Paya says, smiling.

Corona blushes and laughs a little.

Corona stays for dinner with Paya and Impa, and sleeps on a futon in Paya’s room that night. The next day, she says a temporary goodbye and leaves for Hateno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should note for you: this story won't be entirely in order. Semi in order. Sort of drabbles. Basically, this means in most or some cases at least, new chapters aren't going to continue directly where it left off previously.


	3. People think they can just ask me for things?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Side quests........

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short little chapter about side quests for the mean time. I have another chapter or 2 done already but I'll space it out and post them later. So enjoy this little bit!

For whatever reason, people that Corona meets ask her for favors. “Can you slay these monsters for me?” and “Wow I sure wish I had some restless crickets. Oh hey you look like you have nothing better to do, how about you catch some for me?” and it just never ends! What exactly about Corona looked _friendly_?

A lot of them, Corona had half a mind to tell them to fuck off. The monster fighting ones are alright, if only because she was planning on killing them anyway only now she gets paid for it. More rupees means more food and clothes and places to sleep.

Some of these “side quests” are actually fun, like finding a recipe book lost in Hyrule Castle (of course this is if you find sneaking into a guardian and monster infested castle that reeks of evil miasma for treasure and glory to be fun, which Corona does) and horse catching.

Sometimes, these quests lead to shrines. Corona hates when she solves the riddle only to find that the shrine revealed isn’t a Blessing one though. Blessings don’t take any work. The puzzles and battles in the shrines can be fun sometimes, but it’s also nice going in and grabbing some treasure and a spirit orb without doing the work. _Or well, I guess the work was the trial before getting in._ There was no real difference then huh.

In Gerudo Canyon, not too far from the Gerudo stable, Corona spots a man to the side of the path with a camp set up. He calls out to her, and she blows a raspberry at him, spurs on her horse and kicks dust up at the man as she passes. Her first instinct was that he was Yiga, since some would disguise themselves as travelers, even ones she had met before, and wait by the side of the road pretending to need help, be merchants, or offer directions.

If this was a real traveler stuck in the canyon, maybe she should help. Nah, she was already a good distance away now. He’ll probably still be there when she next comes around and she can see what he wants then. If it’s another Yiga, at least she’ll get a few rupees and a mighty banana to snack on.

When next she rides through the area, in Gerudo clothing, the man calls out to her again.

“Hello! Miss! Please wait!”

She slows down to a walk, but does not stop, and fixes a hard gaze at the man.

“I need a horse. If you bring me a good-sized horse, I’ll pay you!”

Corona nods, and then immediately spurs her horse into a full run with a “yah!” and once again leaves the man in the dust. There was no way in hell she was giving that guy any of her horses. Maybe she would free one from a bokoblin and bring it back. That might be too much work though, Corona was sure there were wild horses somewhere around here.

She comes back weeks later on the back of a pink and white spotted mare. Hopping off, she holds out her hand. The man shakes it and Corona gives him a look. “How much,” she asks.

“Oh right! Let me just see here… Yes, this horse is just the right size! Very good! Okay, this is for you.”

He drops a gold rupee into Corona’s hand, and she flicks it into the air, catches it and pockets it.

She warps away to a new location before he can say anything else.

Corona runs into him again at Outskirt Stable three months later.

“Oh hey,” he says, “Thank you last time for that horse. Thanks to you, I made it back to civilization. Yeah, and after I got back, I made a niiiiice profit selling it to- I mean! I’m taking great care of her! My trusted partner! Real great care!” And then, whispers, “Man, I almost blew it…”

Did he really expect Corona not to catch that? She stares at him for a good ten seconds, and then unsheathes her flameblade.

“H-Hey now.. Wait!”

 

\---------

 

Corona bites into an apple, then spits it onto the ground from where she sits up in the apple tree by the side of the road.

“Excuse me,” says a traveler passing by, “Would you like to-”

“No.”

Corona throws the bitten apple at the traveler and tells him “fuck off” as he runs away covering his head.

“I’m already saving the Goddess-damned world, don’t ask me for shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might write more for side quests another time but I don't know yet


	4. Newsflash asshole! She's been a girl the entire goddamn time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corona goes to Gerudo Town

“Halt! No _voe_ allowed in.”

“Huh? I walked all the way here.” Corona pulls at the neck of her shirt, trying to cool off. It’s well over a hundred degrees in the desert, and her hair is sticking to her skin. She used elixirs to get here, but it’s still difficult to breathe in the oppressive heat and she could really use some water.

She’s standing at the entrance to Gerudo Town, but two guards are blocking her way.

“There are no men allowed in Gerudo Town. This is the law.”

“What?!” Corona is indignant. “I’m not a man though! I’m a girl!”

The guards seem suspicious and continue to refuse her entry.

“I’m here to fucking stop that giant lumbering Divine Beast and they won’t even let me in town,” Corona mutters to herself, kicking at the sand walking toward the nearby shrine.

A merchant man camping out near the entrance addresses her, “I’m trying to find a way inside too. I heard about a man who snuck into Gerudo Town, and I’m waiting to spot him. But I haven’t seen anyone yet.”

Corona notes this to remember, and registers the shrine, deciding to complete it later. She asks the merchant for a drink, and stays in the shade of the little tarp he has until it’s cooler in the day for her to make her way back to Kara Kara Bazaar.

She asks around about any suspicious characters or men that had been sneaking into Gerudo Town, but is told that no men have gotten into Gerudo Town. One Gerudo tells her that a Hylian vai like herself sometimes hangs out on top of the inn, when it’s cool enough.

Corona waits until the next evening before climbing up the ladders to the roof of the inn, and sure enough there is a woman with long red hair standing there admiring the horizon. A Hylian, in what appears to be pink Gerudo clothes.

“Oh hello,” the woman says as Corona comes closer.

“Who are you?” Corona asks.

“My name is Vilia. And you are?”

“Corona… Your clothes are really pretty.”

“Oh, thank you! Your name is cute, Corona.”

“Thanks.”

Vilia looks at Corona with an appraising eye, “Say, Corona, would you like a set of these clothes?”

Corona blinks, wide-eyed. “Wait, really? You have extra sets?”

Vilia laughs. “Yes! I’ll sell some to you, if you’re interested. Hm.. How does 600 rupees sound?”

Corona’s face falls. “600? Damn, that’s a lot.” Corona has exactly 1,053 rupees right now, and 600 seems like a lot to spend for her.

Vilia hums, “Alright hun, for you, I’ll make it 400 instead. How does that sound?”

“Really, are you sure?” At Vilia’s nod, Corona smiles and pulls out her rupee pouch, pouring rupees into her hand and counting them before giving them to Vilia, who reaches into a bag and pulls out a blue set of Gerudo _vai_ clothing.

“Here, put these on dear,” she says, placing the folded clothing in Corona’s arms. “I’ll look away. I promise I won’t peek.”

Corona changes into them immediately, and tells Vilia when she’s done. Vilia squeals in delight at seeing her, and Corona blushes and fiddles with her braid when Vilia compliments her looks.

“You’re so cute! Yes, I bet you could get into Gerudo Town and they wouldn’t suspect you weren’t a _vai_!”

Corona huffs. “I am a _vai,_ but they wouldn’t let me in.”

Vilia tsks and walks closer until she is standing only only a few feet away. “I know how it is, honey. Sorry about assuming. You’re a very beautiful girl.”

“Shut up,” Corona says, unsure how to respond. She’s glad that her face is partially hidden by a veil right now, it makes her feel better about how her face might look.

Vilia laughs good-naturedly. “How old are you, sweetie?”

Corona shrugs. “Seventeen, probably.”

“You’re going to Gerudo Town right? It’s practically a women’s paradise. Is that why you’re here?”

“I’m here on business. Though now I’m curious.”

“It is a quite nice place. There are a lot of shops, and women from all over come to see the town.”

“Vilia…” Corona rubs her arm, self-conscious. This suddenly reminds her how revealing this clothing is, and she has scars all over her arms and abdomen. She wraps her arms around her midriff. “Would you come with me to town tomorrow?”

Vilia notices Corona’s nervousness and discomfort and wraps an arm around her shoulder. “I’ve got your back, little one.” Vilia pats her and lets go, heading toward the ladder. “Come on, let’s go back down. We can have some girl talk before we head in.”

Corona smiles and follows her down.

The next day, early in order to beat the heat, Corona and Vilia walk to Gerudo Town. Corona could warp since she already register Daqo Chisay Shrine, but she can’t take passengers when she warps.

When they get close to the entrance, Corona slows down a bit, expecting to be stopped again, but they guards hardly glance at them as Vilia takes the lead and walks in, and Corona follows on her heels. She feels giddy and her heart is racing.

She laughs, “We’re in!”

Vilia hushes her, but Corona can hear the smile in her voice, “Quite dear, they might hear you. Just so you know, there are more women here like us. I believe the guards just want to make sure you look the part.” She shakes her head, thick braid swaying, “If you ask me, it’s a load of bull you’ve got to ‘look’ a certain way to get in, but dressing like this makes me feel pretty at least. I’m glad we could meet, Corona.”

“I am, too,” and she means it.

Vilia shows Corona around some of the shops, treats her to a meal, and tells her about the bar (but won’t let her in for drinking since she isn’t old enough). Corona helps a jewelry maker by giving her flint, and the Gerudo _vai_ makes her a pair of amber earrings as thanks.

In the evening, Corona tells Vilia she has to speak with the chief, and Vilia shows her where to find her. It’s open to the public, so they are both allowed inside to see the chief. Corona asks Vilia to wait closer to the entrance so that she can speak to the Chief by herself, and Vilia hangs back.

“Hm? Another traveler,” the girl sitting on the throne comments. She’s obviously the chief, but she looks younger than Corona is. “How did you get in here?”

“Um, the door was open..?” Corona is confused, thinking that Chief Riju is referring specifically to how she got into the palace.

Riju laughs. “In any case, you’ve got something interesting there.” Riju is looking pointedly at her hip, and Corona looks too, down at the Sheikah Slate. Buliara, Riju’s guard, then demands what Corona’s business is. Riju quiets her, sensing that Corona is not an ordinary traveler, and asks her name.

“My name is Corona, and I’m here because I can calm Vah Naboris.” Her words are strong, but Buliara’s expression is disbelieving. Riju’s expression betrays nothing.

“The only ones that could ever control the Divine Beasts were Champions like Lady Urbosa,” Buliara interjects, “And all of them died in the Calamity 100 years ago.”

“Hmm, something just occurred to me, a memory. My mother told me some time ago… When the Calamity happened, the princess of Hyrule placed a fallen swordsman in a deep sleep. His name was Link. Though that always seemed more like a legend than a fact.”

“But, Lady Riju! Do those same stories not also say that the Hylian Champion carried a legendary sword? I see no such weapon in this person’s care.”

“They do indeed. However, the item on her hip is a precious relic of the Sheikah. I can’t imagine they would give something so valuable to a simple drifter--can you?”

“...I don’t remember ever hearing of a Hylian vai among the Champions. Wait a moment… You’re a _voe_!”

“Am not!” Corona raises her voice. “I’ve been a girl this entire time! I never said anything before about it.”

Riju doesn’t react. “That’s a relief then, a _voe_ in our walls is a great crime. The hero’s name in legend is Link, but you use the name Corona, correct?”

Corona nods, a hard look in her eyes. “That person was me. My name is Corona though, nothing else.”

Riju nods back. “Corona. As a friend of Lady Urbosa’s, as a Champion and as a _vai_ , you are welcome here. We are allies.”

Corona lets out a breath of relief.

Riju then explains the current situation with Naboris, and Corona leaves with the task to first retrieve the stolen Thunder Helm from the Yiga Clan.

She meets up with Vilia at the entrance.

“So you’re a real heroine, huh,” Vilia is smiling and bumps shoulders with Corona.

“Maybe,” Corona says, giving a small smile beneath her own veil.

She doesn’t feel like much of a heroine, given that she’s not a very nice person like stories about heroes are. But she guesses she at least has the killing things and beating monsters bit down.


	5. Rain rain, go away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zora's Domain is drenched and so is Corona

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a way longer chapter than usual but that's most likely because it has a lot of game dialogue yeet

It’s raining heavily around the Lanayru Wetlands, and Corona can barely see through the downpour. She’s heading toward Inogo Bridge to see a “prince” at the behest of a Zora woman who pleaded for her aid. Their prince is looking for a Hylian warrior, and Corona fits the bill.

Her braid has come undone and her hair is soaked through. She huffs, irritated, and wrings it out a little pointlessly.

She can see Inogo Bridge just ahead, but there’s a shrine next to it, and even a tower nearby too. Corona debates the options, and then backtracks a bit so she can cross the river to climb the tower. She takes out every monster along the way, and after activating the tower (and meeting an unfortunate Zora named Gruve who’d gotten stuck up there) she paraglides down to the shrine next to the bridge.

There’s a Zora by the shrine too, who accosts her the same way every Zora before had, and Corona ignores her - _yes yes your prince is searching for a Hylian_ \- in favor of activating the shrine and heading inside to complete its puzzle.

Once Corona is finished and has another spirit orb, she nods to the Zora by the shrine and jumps off the ledge, paragliding to the ground and walking up to the bridge.

A voice calls down to her, and Corona looks around, unable to tell where the voice is coming from with all the rain.

“Up top! Above you,” the voice calls again, and Corona looks up in time to see a bright red figure leap from the lookout post by the tower, performing a showy flip and landing on the ground in front of her. It splashes some more rainwater and mud onto her trousers, but she hardly notices as she’s already soaked through.

“Pardon the entrance, but you’re a Hylian aren’t you?” The Zora stands up straight as he speaks, and Corona looks up (and up) at his face. Goddesses, is he tall. “I was hoping perhaps you’d have a moment to talk.”

“Yes, go on.” Corona motions with her hand.

“Yes! A Hylian, I knew it! Oh, pardon me… I am Sidon, the Zora prince!” He poses and grins at her. She feels a wave of enthusiasm and confidence from him, but can’t tell if he truly means it or not. “And what is your name? Go on, please tell me!”

“Corona,” she mutters her name just loud enough to be heard, and the prince has to lean forward slightly and is quiet for a few moments as he processes the information.

“Corona? Your name is Corona?! What a fantastic name!”

Corona nearly winces at the volume, and instead brushes some of her dripping hair behind her ears.

“To be honest, I’ve been watching you. I’ve seen the way you work. I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person.”

“Is that so?” Corona thinks back to earlier when she’d cleared that area of monsters - how she’d hacked mercilessly with her sword, thrown bombs into the middle of camps, pushed bokoblins into the water and watched them drown, and that one time she’d shot an arrow up a moblin’s nose and doubled over laughing while the moblin attempted to club her to death.

“Corona! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct?!”

“Uh, yeah that’s right.”

“Aha! Just as I suspected! I am a Zora prince after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled. Yes! Exquisite! I have been searching for someone like you for quite a long while. A person like you, Corona, who carries themself with power!”

Sidon then explains that the Zora’s Domain is in grave danger due to the massive rainfall caused by Divine Beast Vah Ruta. He begs Corona for her help and asks her to come with him to the Domain.

“You’re in luck,” she says, “I’m on a mission to stop the Divine Beasts anyway.”

“Wow! Really?! Thank you, Corona! You are indeed the person I thought you were! Now Zora’s Domain will be saved for sure! There’s no time to waste! Hurry up and head over!” He explains that the cliffs are too wet to climb, and that the path ahead is infested with monsters that use electricity.

“Don’t give up! I believe in you!” His enthusiasm is a little thick for the situation, Corona thinks. He’s quiet for a couple moments, then says, “Oh! That’s right, I almost forgot. I have something that I would like to give you. It’s a small trinket to show that I have faith in you.”

He hands her an electro elixir. She turns it over in her hand, then pockets it to use later.

“Thanks,” she says.

“Right then, I’ll head up the river to make sure there’s nothing strange going on where you’re headed. Good luck, warrior!”

With that parting bit, Sidon backflips into the water and swims away. Corona whistles.

It’s a long and twisting path to the Domain according to the slate’s map. “This is gonna be a pain in the ass,” she grumbles and starts to walk.

\---

About five lizalfos and going on twelve octoroks later, and Corona has barely covered any ground. She’s sick of the rain completely; it’s cold and the clothes stick to her skin uncomfortably. She eventually comes across a small lizalfos camp and they’ve even got a fire going, sheltered by a small cave.

Corona clears them out and commandeers their fire. She snacks on the fish they had roasting and strips off her boots, sitting by the fire to warm up. It’s evening anyway, so she decides to sleep here for the night. “If there’s a fucking blood moon tonight I swear I’m just going to leave and go straight to Ganon to kick his ass,” she mutters and settles down.

As luck would have it, there was no blood moon. Corona wakes up in the early morning, and it’s still raining. The fire has dwindled, but it’s still warm, and Corona’s clothes are damp but dried a little. Not that that matters, since she’s about to continue trekking through the rain.

Corona finally drinks that electro elixir as she notices lizalfos camps ahead with bows and shock arrows. Her flamesword is pretty useless in the rain, so she takes out the camps using a knight’s claymore and a bow she snatched from a dead lizalfos earlier back.

After that ordeal, Sidon calls her over from the river and tells her that she’s doing great and that she’s almost halfway there. Corona knows from her map, the path to the Domain has lots of curves and twists. Hardly straightforward.

She heads up a hill, right into another lizalfos camp. These ones also have shock arrows, so she’s careful to avoid the pools of water that have gathered on the ground. After this one, she starts across a bridge called Luto’s Crossing. She hears Prince Sidon’s loud voice from below, and peers over the guard rail. There he is, waving at her from the river again.

Once again he encourages her, and then suddenly he shouts a warning about a monster behind her and Corona reels back to face it- a blue moblin. She dodges its massive club and ducks in low to hack at its legs, making it roar in anger and pain. It tries to kick her away, but she manages to side step the attack. The moblin goes down without getting a hit in.

Corona looks over the side of the bridge again and gives a thumbs up to the prince down below. She cant see his expression from up here, but he seems relieved. Corona continues on without waiting for him to keep talking.

Right after Luto’s Crossing, up and around a hill, she has to take out an electric wizzrobe as quickly as she can with arrows. The thing had scattered metal boxes and weapons around the area that would conduct its electricity and make it more dangerous.

Once past all that, Corona could see moblins wandering around the path down. Corona could fight them, but she could also see the bridge to Zora’s Domain from here, and instead she paraglides over the moblins toward the bridge.

Paragliding in the rain sucks, and the wind and water both whip at her face. She lands on the bridge though, and starts walking into the Domain. There doesn’t appear to be any rooves unfortunately, so she still isn’t quite clear of the rain.

Upon heading in, Sidon runs up to her and greets her again. “Whoa! Corona! You made it! Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora’s Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the king. Hurry, this way!” He turns and starts walking, so Corona follows.

“You’re an excitable one, aren’t you,” Corona asks as she catches up with Sidon.

“What’s that?”

Corona doesn’t repeat herself, and Sidon doesn’t decide to answer her if he’d heard. A few Zoras are staring at her as they walk by, and she resists making faces or gestures at them. They head up some stairs, but with the water cascading down them from the rain, it’s extremely slippery. Corona loses her footing once and nearly tumbles backward, but Sidon catches her arm.

 

“Are you alright?”

Corona takes a deep breath. “Everything is way too wet.”

Sidon laughs. “Come on, I’ll make sure you don’t fall. My father is just up these stairs.”

The continue on, with Corona holding onto Sidon’s forearm in case she slips again. She lets go as soon as they’re at the top.

The king is ginormous, way bigger than any Zora she’s seen before, and Sidon is already twice her height. Sidon goes to stand to the side of the throne, to Corona’s right but the king’s left. Another Zora, shorter, green and old-looking, in on the king’s right hand side.

“Ah,” the king says, “You must by the Hylian that Sidon brought here, correct? You did well to come all the way here! I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora.” The king hums in question, leaning forward on his throne. “That object on your hip… Is that not a Sheikah Slate?! ..Now that I’ve gotten a good look at you, it is all too clear who you are… You are the Hylian Champion, Link!”

Corona cringes.

“Do not tell me you have forgotten me…”

“The Hylian Champion?” Sidon jumps in, “You can’t mean the Link? That Champion? What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths! Though, didn’t you tell me your name was Corona?”

Before she can respond, the king starts talking again. “I cannot believe it,” the king says, “The Hylian Champion, Link, has appeared before us… We have met numerous times, I’ll have you know. Ah… So many memories! My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend. I had heard a terrible rumor that you had fallen in combat, but it appears you managed to survive. Extraordinary!”

Corona clears her throat and holds up a hand to make sure she can get a word in. “I need to get something straight here. My name’s not Link. It’s Corona. The person you’re talking about… was me, but… it’s not me anymore! Don’t call me that. My name’s Corona and I’m a girl. Understand? And secondly, I did fall in combat. I just don’t remember it. I don’t remember _anything_ for that matter. I was put to sleep, and I lost all my memories. Now I’m back.”

“I apologize, Corona, for speaking too soon. Please forgive me. Hm… So you were asleep, and you’ve lost your memories you say? Is this why you seem not to remember me? But surely you must remember my precious daughter, Mipha, yes? You do, do you not?”

Corona tries to think. She looks at Sidon, the prince. She hasn’t met or seen any princess here. There was a statue beneath the throne room they passed on the way to the stairs, which must be her or perhaps a warrior…

“That doesn’t ring any bells, sorry.”

“I cannot believe it… Have you truly forgotten my dear Mipha as well? You and Mipha were so close… Yet you do not remember her? Young hero… Please look upon the beauty of the Domain. Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha’s immortalized form still not jog your memory?”

“That’s her? Wait, immortalized? Is she here, or does that mean…” She doesn’t finish her sentence, but she doesn’t have to. The look on the three Zoras faces tell her enough. “I see. I’m sorry. I really can’t remember anything right now.”

“Well,” King Dorephan sighs sadly, “Perhaps your memory will return in time. I dearly hope so.”

 _I hope so too,_ Corona thinks.

“Father… I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Corona seems confused.”

Corona is glad for the change of subject, and nods at Sidon in thanks. She has no idea how to feel about a person she apparently used to be close to being dead. She can’t remember her, and the fact that she doesn’t feel sad, or anything, seems to eat up hole in her chest.

King Dorephan gets back to the matter at hand- Vah Ruta, the Divine Beast troubling the Domain by causing massive amounts of rainfall.

When he asks for her help to stop this, the green Zora beside him cries out in outrage. Apparently, he hates Hylians. His name is Muzu, which Corona learns when both the king and Sidon admonish him for speaking out rudely. Sidon explains why they need a Hylian’s help and how they’d already come to the decision to search for one.

Muzu continues though, saying it is the Hylians fault that Hyrule is what it is today, and that they are the reason Princess Mipha was killed.

Dorephan says nothing to this, and Corona has no idea how to respond either. But the king gets her attention again and simply explains how the Divine Beast is able to generate water, and that it’s caused the reservoir to fill to the max, and is in danger of bursting. If the dam breaks, then not only Zora’s Domain, but Hylian settlements downstream are in danger.

Vah Ruta cries out then, and they all look toward the reservoir where it sits. Corona can’t see it, but she knows it’s there now spewing water. The cause of her being so goddessdamned wet.

King Dorephan says that Corona’s princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts in the past, and that her research showed that the orbs on Vah Ruta’s shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates.

“However, they require electricity to work. The orbs are clearly out of control because there is no electricity coursing through them to stop them.”

Sidon speaks up, “Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, hit one with a shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit. Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force. That is why I went in search of a Hylian who could help us!” Sidon strike that post again, the same one he did when they met. Corona cracks a smile.

“Corona, I am certain you have already figured this out, but… We need you to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again! I will aid you in any way I can, of course. Please hero, I beg of you. Help me stop Ruta’s rampage of destruction!”

“Actually, I was told by Zelda to board and appease the Divine Beasts from within.”

“Whaaaat?!” The king shouts. Corona almost covers her ears. “Princess Zelda herself instructed you to calm the Divine Beasts? Then she is still alive?”

“Yes, in Hyrule Castle. She’s been fighting Ganon all this time, alone.”

“I do not believe it… So you were both alive all this time! We cannot change the events of the past, but perhaps now if we regain control of the Divine Beasts, they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once and for all!”

“I did not know you had such grand ambitions, Corona,” Sidon says. “Naturally, I shall help too!” He strikes that pose again, and Corona is beginning to think he keeps doing that because she finds it amusing. And charming. “Come, Corona! Let’s appease Ruta together!”

Corona smiles and hits her fist and palm together. “I’m in! Let’s do this!”

King Dorephan addresses her, “Thank you Corona, we are in your debt. Our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny. Now then, allow me to offer you this gift as a show of faith.”

He gives her Zora armor, and holding it in her hands, she feels like it’s something of great importance, only she can’t remember why. But she can’t think on it too hard right now, as he continues talking.

“So long as you wear this, you can ascend waterfalls just like a Zora. Please, take good care of it.”

 

Before Corona can thank him or compliment the gift, Muzu cries out again.

“Surely you do not intend to give this outsider the Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry!”

“Whoa, marriage?” Corona says mostly to herself, though Sidon hears her and gives her a look of sympathy. She holds the armor closer to herself as Muzu continues his yelling.

“Princess Mipha made that one there with her own hands! It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian!”

“Shady?” Corona mutters and scoffs.

“She may be a Champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with her. So why should _she_ receive such an honor?” Muzu says a few last words and stomps out of the throne room.

Dorephan apologizes for him, and Sidon tells her not to concern herself with Muzu’s words and that he will talk to Muzu. Sidons runs out after him.

“Would you mind going down there?” Dorephan asks. “I would like you to try to speak with him.”

Corona couldn’t care less what Muzu thinks of her, and doesn’t know why the king would ask her to speak with some old timer who obviously dislikes her. Corona heads out of the throne room and down the stairs (using the handrail this time). She spots Sidon and Muzu in front of Mipha’s statue.

Since the bottom of the stairs are already close to it, she can hear them. Corona wanders closer; Muzu sees her, and addresses her. She has no intention of trying to appease the geezer, but she wants to see what’ll happen.

“You came all the way here, but it was in vain. I have no desire to speak with you.”

“I didn’t come here to speak to you anyway.”

The old Zora opens his mouth to retort but Sidon beats him to it. “Muzu, listen well. There is something you need to know. The one who stands here, Corona… She is the one whom my sister, Mipha, had feelings for. I was only a child then, so I did not yet know myself at the time. But it is so. I grew up hearing my father tell stories, some of which were about my sister’s undying love for a Hylian name L-... well, it was Corona.”

“What?! No... You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie! Not this Zora! How could Lady Mipha have feelings for a Hylian like her?!”

“Yeah what?” Corona waves a hand. “I’m confused. For me? She loved me?” For one second Corona has to agree: how could a princess love her? She’s mean and says ‘fuck’ a lot. She can’t imagine a _princess_ falling in love with her.

“See?” Muzu says, “The facts are clear. She remembers nothing. Even when she looks upon Princess Mipha’s statue…”

“It’s the truth, Muzu. Though you never knew it, she was ever in Mipha’s heart.”

Corona frowns, thinking. None of this makes sense to her. It doesn’t feel right, but nothing has quite felt right since she woke up in that shrine on the Great Plateau. She wants to scream, she wants to run, she wants to do something dumb and destructive.

She looks at Princess Mipha’s statue once more, looking at the beautifully sculpted details, from her trident, to her fins and jewelry. Corona studies her face and gentle smile.

And then, remembers something.

_To be continued…._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have the next part already written but i'll wait a few days before posting it! thanks for waiting everybody. also a notice that while i do write in my free time when i've got ideas, im moving really far in a couple of weeks! so there's a chance that updates will come slower once i move until i get settled over there. thanks for reading, i love the comments and feedback!


	6. Girl talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corona remembers a very important person, gets a bit of info, and soon they'll be heading to battle once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Corona is 15 during the memory

Mipha's hands glow while she works her healing magic upon a large gash on Corona's forearm. Before her eyes, the wound seals up and disappears. She inspects it briefly while Mipha begins to speak.

“This reminds me of when we met. You were such a reckless child. Even then, I was always willing to heal your wounds.”

They are sitting atop Vah Ruta's trunk, and there's a beautiful sunset on the horizon. It's really the perfect scene, and the orange glow of the sun reflects magnificently on Mipha's red scales.

“It amazed me, and at times frustrated me, that you seemed to grow up so much faster than I did…”

Corona looks at Mipha, content to listen, and curious.

“After all this is over, the battle with Ganon… I'd like if things were like they were before. You know, maybe we could spend some time together.”

Mipha gives her a small smile, but the light and the look in her eyes makes her seem effervescent, and absolutely lovely. _She's gorgeous._

“I'd like that,” Corona says, almost too soft to hear, her eyes on Mipha and nowhere else.

Then, Mipha seems a bit nervous, glancing away, and a bit suddenly leans forward to press her lips to Corona's.

Corona blushes, hard. She's taken by surprise, and a second later is furrowing her brows and pursing her lips and oh Hylia she has no idea how to kiss.

But Mipha pulls back and Corona blinks open her eyes, feeling much like a tomato that has spontaneously combusted. The look on her face must show her confusion and surprise and Mipha begins to fret.

“Should I not have done that? I'm sorry, Link,” she says. She can't keep her eyes in one place, looking to and from Corona rapidly.

Corona suddenly feels like she might cry, and it's her turn to feel nervous.

“Um,” Corona starts, her voice cracking.

“You don't have to reciprocate, I don't want to ruin our friendship, or force you into a relationship you don't want.”

“That's not it,” Corona says. She takes a deep breath. “I need to tell you something. I'm just… scared that maybe it's _you_ that won't like _me_ as much if I tell you. I don't wanna ruin our friendship either. I'm scared to lose you.”

“Oh Link, you can tell me anything.”

Corona's fists tighten in her lap, she's shaking and hoping that the shakiness isn't showing too much in her voice too.

“I wanna be called Corona, not Link.” She says the words more forcefully than she might have intended, but perfectly clear. “I'm a girl. I'm a girl, too.”

There's no answer, and Mipha is looking at her but Corona can only look at her own hands in her lap right now. “Please just say something,” Corona says.

Mipha is trying to find her words. Finally, she says, “Thank you for telling me, Corona.” This gets Corona to look back at her. “It was very brave of you to do so.”

Mipha is smiling, and Corona feels a weight lift off her chest. Mipha continues, “You are my closest friend, Corona. You being a girl does not change this. And, it does not change my feelings for you… Though it is still your choice whether to accept my feelings or not. If I may ask… when did you know? We have been friends since you were only four years old, and yet I hadn't known.”

“I knew since I was about nine, I think… not exactly, but I kinda started noticing then that I liked girls but in a 'I want to look like that and be that girl’ kind of way. I've been growing out my hair for a while and sometimes people 'mistake’ me for a girl, but… my pops doesn't like that.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“You're the first person I've told actually.”

“Oh, I see. Are you… Should I keep calling you..?”

Corona sighs. “For now, yes. In front of others at least. I.. want to tell the other Champions, but I'm afraid. I worry Revali will say something mean, cuz I've heard lots of other comments before and Revali already doesn't like me. And I'm really scared of what Zelda might do or say; we're still not on the best of terms. But, if I do tell them, it'll mean a lot to me to have you on my side.”

“Of course,” Mipha smiles, “I will always protect you.”

Their fingers intertwine, and they watch the sunset together.

…

Corona doesn't remember Mipha much more than this. She wonders if they dated. She can't remember if she had or hadn't returned Mipha's feelings as she hadn't said so in the memory. However, from this memory alone, she knows she cared for Mipha very much. Even if Mipha wasn't her girlfriend, Mipha had definitely been her greatest friend.

She feels her eyes start to water and jolts from the memory, she wipes at her face, but since it’s still raining the tears go unnoticed by the Zoras next to her.

“What’s the matter with you?” Muzu asks. “You’re quivering like a hatchling.”

“Mipha,” Corona chokes out, “I remembered something about her.”

“What? There’s no way you remembered something just now! That’s too convenient! Do not mistake me for a fool, Hylian! If you can prove to me it’s true I… I shall tell you where to get the shock arrows! And anything else you wish to know.”

Corona is about to say ‘well I did, asshole, so fuck you’ but Sidon begins to speak first.

“Corona, you should put on the Zora armor. Please, trust me.”

Corona looks at the armor still clutched in her hands, and holds it up so she can see it fully. She takes off her weapons strap and the shirt she was wearing, not caring that she’s out in the open. She pulls on the Zora armor, and to her surprise it fits rather comfortably. She typically doesn’t like clothing that clings to her skin, but this one feels like a second skin and doesn’t rub against her. Corona likes the feel of the scale designs on it too.

She’s still admiring it when Sidon speaks to Muzu again. “Do you see, Muzu? Look closely at what Corona is wearing.”

“That’s the Zora armor from before. Wait… Lady Mipha made that by hand, and yet it fits you perfectly! What is the meaning of this?!”

“Now you understand, do you not? Now you know who her heart belonged to and who she made this special armor for. The fact that this armor fits Corona perfectly should be proof enough that Mipha made it for her and her alone! You have always disliked Hylians, even before the Great Calamity. That is why Mipha never told you. Now that you know, you must promise to help her save us all, Muzu. Please… Tell us where we can find the shock arrows we need. Knowing you, I bet you already have it figured out.”

“Hmph. I never would have imagined she would make that special armor for one such as she… I do not approve of asking help from a Hylian, but I suppose it is our only option at this point. I am a proud Zora. That means I must take responsibility for my unwarranted behavior toward you. As promised, I shall tell you where the shock arrows can be found and you can collect as many as you need.”

Muzu tells them that the shock arrows can be found on Ploymus Mountain, and Shatterback Point, both beyond the tall mountain behind the Domain. However, he also says a terrifying beast that fires volley after volley of deadly shock arrows has made its home there. Sidon calls it a lynel. Muzu says she will need at least 20 shock arrows.

Sidon tells her how to swim up the waterfalls, and that he will wait for her at the East Reservoir once she has collected the shock arrows.

Corona cracks her knuckles. “Alright, let’s do this!”

Sidon leaves ahead of her again, and Corona goes to make her way up Ploymus Mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was really excited about this chapter haha  
> i had the memory itself written out for a while now, the idea for it came one night when i was trying to sleep and i got up to write it so i wouldnt forget
> 
> may or may not add a chapter with the battle or vah ruta, we'll see. gonna take a break for a little bit too, im moving to another state in like 3 days


End file.
